Before you can set up your site, you need to pick and register an appropriate domain name, also called an URL. Use one of the domain registrars to check if the name you want is available. Domains can run from a few pounds to thousands, depending on their popularity. If you want to register your brand name, consider also registering some common variants to stop others from snapping them up. Don’t forget that you now have plenty more choice over domain extensions beyond just .com, .co.uk and .biz.

2. Select a hosting plan

The next step is choosing where you are going to have your site hosted. Larger companies will often have their own web server, but this is simply not feasible for most organisations. Instead, a web hosting company will store your site on its server and undertake certain maintenance functions for a fee. Hosting plans start from a few pounds a month. and you can access your site’s administration pages at any time.

Here comes the fun part! While you can build a site completely from scratch, the simplest option is to use a content management system (CMS). The most popular of these is WordPress. A CMS offers a user-friendly platform for you choose a template for your site, add content (such as images, video and text) and link to your social media accounts. You can also add plugins, such as a contact form or an e-commerce facility. WordPress is simple to use, but because a professional, optimised and effective web presence is such an important aspect of marketing, using a company that specialises in WordPress Web design in London or elsewhere, such as https://happy2host.com/, can be worth considering. This way, you can be sure your site will be fully functional and achieve its aims.

From a technical point of view, creating a website is straightforward. However, creating a great website takes plenty of forward planning, resources and maintenance to ensure it is an effective online marketing tool.